Variable discharge blower



Aug. 3, 1954 w. M. SPRENG VARIABLE DISCHARGE BLOWER 5 Sheets'Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 7 1951 INVENTOR WARREN M. SPRENG 4A avwa ATTORNEYS FIG-8 Aug. 3, 1954 Filed Dec. 7 1951 W. M. SPRENG VARIABLE DISCHARGE BLOWER 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR WARREN M. SPRENG BYMW' W ATTORNEYS Aug. 3, 1954 w. M. SPRENG VARIABLE DISCHARGE BLOWER FIG-4 N E m Rs v 0 0 .N. EN 0 VF. W N 2 IRVIA m a 2 o m Patented Aug. 3, 1954 UNITED STATES QFFICE VARIABLE DISCHARGE BLOWER Application December 7, 1951, Serial No. 260,366

14 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a blower, particularly a blower for dispensing insecticides and the like, and especially to a blower of this nature which oscillates in a vertical plane.

In my co-pending applications, Serial No. 640,072, filed January 9, 1946, now Patent No. 2,583,753, and Serial No. 65,561, filed December 16, 1948, now Patent No. 2,587,240, I disclose mobile blower arrangements including means for introducing an insecticide into the air stream of the blower and with the blower arranged to oscillate in a vertical plane so that it can be moved along the trees in an orchard and the folia e of the trees sprayed from top to bottom. Arrangements of this nature are highly useful for maintaining orchards and offer desirable economies of time in carrying out the spraying, and likewise, produce results superior to what is obtainable according to prior art practices.

It has been found, however, that when a blower of this type is arranged to discharge air with sufficient velocity to reach the uppermost foliage of the trees to be sprayed, this velocity is in eX- cess of what is needed when the blower is directed to the lower part of the trees and often the trees are damaged and blossoms or fruit blown therefrom at the lower parts of the trees.

With the foregoing in mind, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a blower arrangement of the nature referred to which will avoid this difficulty and which will, at one time, project air toward the top of a tree to be sprayed at high velocity and toward the bottom of the tree at a lower velocity.

Another object is the provision of a simple arrangement for accomplishing the above results which does not involve any substantial change in a conventional blower structure.

Oscillating blowers of the nature referred to are most useful when they are adapted for oscillating on either side of the vertical center line so that trees can be sprayed on either one side or the other.

Accordingly, a still further object of this invention is the provision of an improved arrangement for permitting oscillation of the blower on either side of a vertical center line.

A still further object is the provision of an im proved and simplified arrangement for varying the degree of oscillation of the blower.

These and other objects and advantages will become more apparent upon reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portable sprayer-blower according to my invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse section indicated by the cutting plane 22-2 on Figure 1, and showing the general arrangement of the blower and the mechanism for causing it to oscillate;

Figure 3 is a plan view looking down on top of the blower of Figure 2, showing the drive to the blower, to the pump which provides the supply of material that is to be carried by the air stream from the blower, and the drive to the oscillating mechanism for the blower;

Figure 4 is a view like Figure 2, but showing the blower at approximately its other limit of travel;

Figure 5 is a sectional view indicated by line 5-5 on Figure 2 showing the construction of an adjustable crank arm forming a part of the oscillating mechanism;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view indicated by line 6-6 on Figure 2 showing another detail in connection with the oscillating mechanism for the blower;

Figure '7 is a sectional view indicated by line li on Figure 2 showing the journals by means of which the rotor of the blower and the blower casing are rotatably supported on the frame of the machine;

Figure 8 is a sectional view indicated by line 8-8 on Figure 3 showing the means by which the blower discharge velocity is adjusted and the actuating mechanism connected thereto;

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic view showing the preferred manner of drivingly interconnecting the rotor of the blower, the pump for supplying material to be sprayed, an agitator for the tank containing the said material, and the mechanism for oscillating the blower on it axis;

Figure 10 is a view like Figure 2, but showing the blower adjusted so it will oscillate on the opposite side of the vertical center line thereof;

Figure 11 is a diagrammatic view showing the blower as it appears spraying the lower part of a tree; and,

Figure 12 shows the blower when it is tilted to spray the upper part of the tree.

Referring to the drawings somewhat more in detail, Figure 1 shows a portable spraying device, acoording to my invention, including an oscillating blower having means for varying the discharge velocity thereof. The machine illustrated in Figure 1 comprises a frame I I1 supported on ground wheels I2 having an engine at one end in a compartment indicated at M, and having a tank to intermediate the ends of the frame containing the material which is to be sprayed. At the end or the frame opposite the said motor there is mounted an oscillating blower generally indicated at [8.

The described arrangement of the blower, the motor, and the tank is of advantage inasmuch as it positions the heavy tank substantially overthe axle connecting wheels l2 thereby making it relatively simple to support the tank and also preventing the machine from becoming badly unbalanced.

The blower 18 comprises the usual bladed rotor 20 mounted on a shaft 22 that extends through anti-friction bearings 24 mounted in bearing blocks 26 at opposite sides of the blower and which bearing blocks are supported on standards or brackets 28 rigidly connected with frame ID of the machine and upstanding therefrom.

Blower i8 also comprises a housing 38, consisting of a scroll-like outer part surrounding bladed rotor 28 and including a substantially rectangular discharge opening 32. The side walls of the blower housing are apertured and receive a pair of generally circular cast members 34, the one of which disposed on the tank side of the blower is open in its center and supports the air inlet funnel S6. The other of the castings is blanked ofi, either during the casting thereof or by a suitable plate so that all of the air blown by the blower enters through the intake funnel 36.

The above mentioned castings 3 3 have radially inwardly projecting spokes 38 which terminate in the central annular bearing portions 40 which are rotatable on the bearings 42 supported on the bearing blocks 26 as by the bolts as. This arrangement is illustrated in Figure '7, and substantially the same arrangement is provided at both sides of the blower so that the blower casing is rotatably supported on the axis of shaft 22.

One of the bearings d2 has a pad formed thereon at 46 (Figure 3) and pivoted to pad 46 is an arm 58. This arm 48, as will best be seen in Figures 2, 3 and 8, is also pivoted to an arm or link 58 which has its other end pivoted at 52 to a point inside casing 39 of the blower. Arm or link 54) includes an angularly projecting part 56 rigid therewith and which terminates in a bar portion 55 extending axially of the blower housing and adjacent the discharge opening 32 thereof,

Portion 56 has rigidly secured thereto a generally L-shaped baflie comprising a part 58 extending into the discharge opening of the blower and a part 58 extending along the outer wall of the casing. The baffle extends the width of the discharge opening of the casing and it will be apparent upon reference to Figure 8 that movement of part 53 of the baffle downwardly in the discharge opening will reduce the efiective size of the discharge opening while the portion 50 of the bafile will form a continuation of the scroll-like outer wall of the casing thereby to prevent air from being blown between the top part of the discharge opening and the ballie.

It might be pointed out at this point that bar 56 is relatively close to the periphery of the rotor of the blower and thus supports the baffle mem her in a position where it is highly efiective for preventing loss of efiiciency of the blower due to the air circulating within the casing rather than being forced out through the discharge opening.

As mentioned before, the housing of the blower is arranged to oscillate about the axis of shaft 22 and this is accomplished by an arrangement which is best seen in Figures 2 and 3. J ournaled on the frame of the machine is a shaft 62 which has welded to one end a block 64 receivable between the two legs 56 of a crank arm that carries a trunnion pin 68 at its opposite end. Bolts 10 are provided for clamping the crank arm to block 54 and a plurality of bolt receiving apertures 12 are provided in the crank arm for adjustment thereof on the said block.

Mounted on trunnion pin 68 by bearing 14 is an adjustable connecting rod H3 which has a bearing 18 at its other end receiving a trunnion pin carried on an arm 89 which is journaled on the one of the bearings 42 that is adjacent the inlet opening of the blower.

Arm 8!? has pivoted thereto at 2 a toggle 8-3 including a spring 86 for snapping the toggle into its two positions and having the end portions 88 so positioned that they can be selectively made to engage the periphery of an axially extending flange 90 running about the adjacent casting 345. A part of the periphery of flange 3 is toothed as at 82 and the casting also includes stop elements 94 and 26 which will abut one side of arm when the part 58 of the toggle on the opposite side of the arm is engaging one of the teeth 92. Reference to Figure 2 will serve to reveal that rotation of shaft 52 will cause oscillation of arm 80 about its pivotal support on bearing 42 and this, in turn, will cause oscillation of the housing of the blower from its Figure 2 position to its Figure 4 position.

Simultaneously, with the oscillation of the blower housing, the mechanism connected with the bafiie disposed in the blower discharge opening will cause the said bafile to move in the opening. In Figure 2 it will be seen that the bafile is so positioned that it does not restrict the discharge opening of the blower, but as the blower casing moves toward its Figure 4 position, the battle moves so as increasingly to restrict the said opening.

In this manner the velocity of the blower dis charge is caused to vary between a pre-determined lower limit when the blower housing is in its Fi ure 2 position, and a predetermined higher limit when the blower housing is in its Figure 4 position whereby a lower velocity discharge is directed toward the bottom of the foliage of the tree and a higher velocity discharge is directed toward the top of the tree.

The arrangement of this invention is such that no adjustments need be made in the mechanism when the blower is adjusted to oscillate on the opposite side of the center. This will be seen on reference to Figure 10 where the blower is n adjusted to oscillate on the opposite side from Figure 2. This adjustment of the blower housing is accomplished by releasing toggle 8 and then turning the blower housing until arm 89 abuts stop element 98 and then again engaging the toggle with a tooth on the opposite side of the arm from the said stop element. Under these conditions of adjustment the blower will oscillate from its Figure 10 position upwardly to an upper limit and then back again. The baille, as will be seen in Figure 10, is positioned so that it does not restrict the discharge opening of the blower when the discharge opening is in its lower position but will be adjusted upwardly so as increasingly to restrict the said discharge opening as the opening approaches its upper limit of travel.

The arrangement of the pivot 52 and the pivot pad 56 are influential in determining that the baffle will be properly positioned relative to the discharge opening at all times and it will be seen on reference to the drawings that the pivot 52 is substantially symmetrically located relative to the two positions of the discharge opening illustrated in Figures 2 and while the pivot pad 46 is likewise positioned in a position symmetrical to these two locations of the discharge opening. By virtue of this arrangement no ad- J'ustment need ever be made in the actuating mechanism for the baffle.

For supplying the material to be sprayed to the air stream, there is provided a manifold ltd extending across the discharge opening of the blower and having mounted therein a plurality of nozzles Hi2. Manifold R69 is mounted by a flexible conduit Hill with a conduit Hi5 leading to the discharge side of a pump 198 connected to draw the material to be sprayed from tank it.

Pump GB is driven by a pulley I N] that is belted to pulley H2 mounted on shaft 22 of rotor 25. The drive shaft of the pump also mounts pulley means H 3 that are belted to pulley means H5 on a shaft I if! that leads into tank H5 at a lower level thereof and carries within the tank an agitator for maintaining the material in the tank thoroughly mixed at all times.

On shaft H5 are still other pulley means i211 and these are belted to the pulley means i22 that are carried on shaft $2 of the mechanism for oscillating the blower casing.

Shaft 22 is coupled to a drive shaft i2! which extends through tank 16 and is connected for being driven by the motor in compartment M. Shaft i2! is preferably housed within a sleeve E23 extending axially through tank i8 and rigidly secured to its opposite end walls. Sleeve !23 thus, at one time, provides a housing for shaft #2! and a stiffening brace for supporting the end walls of tank it against bending outwardly under load.

The relative positioning of the said shafts and the approximate relative sizes of the pulley means thereon are illustrated in Figure 9 of the drawings.

By way of example, Figures 11 and 12 illustrate the operation of the blower arrangement of this invention. In Figure 11 the blower is discharg ing horizontally toward the lower portion of tree I24 and the air blast I25 from the blower is spread over a relatively large area and is thus of a fairly lower velocity so that fruit and blossoms will not be knocked off the tree or the foliage damaged. At the same time, the velocity of the air blast is high enough to agitate the foliage of the tree so that all parts thereof are thoroughly sprayed.

In Figure 12 the discharge opening of the blower has been restricted by movement of the bafile member as the blower casing is tilted upwardly and the air blast i255 is therefore directed over a smaller area and moves at higher velocity. This higher velocity of the air blast, however, doe not damage the tree or knock fruit or blossoms therefrom because it is directed to the upper portion of the tree rather than the much nearer lower portion thereof.

It will be seen that this invention provides for an arrangement wherein the discharge from the blower is continuously adjusted during tilting movements of the blower so as to have the most desirable velocity at all times for insuring a thorough spraying of the foliage being treated but without any damage being caused to the said foliage.

It will be understood that the blower is also adapted for use without oscillating the blower casing as, for example, when spraying bushes, ground crops, and small trees, but the oscillating blower arrangement with the baffle, according to my invention, finds its best use in connection with the spraying of trees in the manner illustrated in Figures 11 and 12.

It will be understood that this invention is susceptible to modification in order to adapt it to different usages and conditions, and, accordingly, it is desired to comprehend such modifications within this invention as may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A blower comprising; a rotor, a casing around the rotor having a discharge passage, mean for tilting the casing on the axis of the rotor to vary the inclination of said passage, and means responsive to the said tilting means for varying the efiective area of said passage.

2. A blower comprising; a rotor, a casing around the rotor having a peripheral discharge passage, means for tilting the casing on the axis of the rotor to vary the inclination of said passage, and means connected to said casing and responsive to the said tilting means for varying the effective area of said passage, said means being operable to decrease the effective area of the passage as the opening is elevated and to increase the effective area thereof as the passage is lowered.

3. A blower comprising a rotor mounted on a horizontal axis, a casing around the rotor having a tangential discharge passage, means for tilting the casing on the axis of the rotor to vary the inclination of said passage from a substantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position, a baffle in the passage for variably restricting said passage, means connected to said casing and to said baffle and responsive to said tilting means for moving said baiiie from a position of minimum restriction when said passage is substantially horizontal to a position of maximum restriction when said passage is substantially vertical and to proportionate positions of varying restriction when said passage is between said horizontal and vertical positions.

4. A blower comprising a rotor mounted on a horizontal axis, a casing around the rotor hav ing a rectangular discharge channel extending tangentially therefrom, said channel having a pair of walls, means for tilting said casing to vary the inclination of said channel, a bafile in said channel for variably restricting said channel, and means connected to said baffle and to said casing and responsive to said tilting mean for moving said baiile toward one of said walls as the channel is tilted from a first to a second position and toward the other of said walls when said channel is tilted to a third position or back to said first position.

5. A blower comprising a rotor mounted on a horizontal axis, a casing around the rotor having a rectangular discharge channel extending tangentially therefrom, said channel having a pair of walls, means for tilting said casing to vary the inclination of said channel, a baffle in said channel for variably restricting said channel, and mean connected to said basic and to said casing and responsive to said tilting means for moving said baflie toward one of said walls as the channel is tilted from a first to a second position and toward the'other of said walls when said channel is tilted to a third position or back to said first position, said baflle being supported substantially parallel to said one wall of the channel at all times.

6. A blower comprising a rotor mounted on a horizontal axis, a casing around the rotor having a rectangular discharge channel extending tangentialy therefrom, said channel having a pair of spaced substantially parallel walls, means for rotating said channel through a vertical angle from one horizontal position whereby discharge occurs in one direction to a second horizontal position whereby discharge occur in the opposite direction, a baflie in said channel substantially parallel to said walls for variably restricting said channel, and means connected to said bailie and to said casing and responsive to said rotating means for oscillating said bailie from a minimum restricting position adjacent one of said walls when said channel is in either horizontal position to a maximum restricting position intermediate said walls when said channel is in a substantially vertical position intermediate said horizontal po sitions.

7. A blower comprising a frame, a rotor mounted on said frame on a horizontal axis, a casing around the rotor tiltable about the axis and having a rectangular discharge channel extending tangentially therefrom, a baiile in said channel substantially parallel to one wall thereof, an articulated linkage connected to said casing and to a stationary point on said frame, said baiile being connected to said linkage whereby tilting of said casing will be accompanied by movement of said baiile in the same direction, as said casing and in substantial parallelism with said one wall but at a different speed than said casing, and means for oscillating said casing on said axis.

8. A blower comprising a frame, a rotor mounted on said frame on a horizontal axis, a casing around the rotor tiltable about the axis and having a rectangular discharge channel extending tangentially therefrom, a baille in said channel substantially parallel to one wall thereof, a pair of pivoted arms, one of said arms being connected to said casing, and the other of said arms being connected to a stationary point on said frame, said bafile being connected to said one arm whereby tilting of said casing will be ac companied by movement of said battle in the same direction as said casing and in substantial parallelism with one of said walls but at a different speed than said casing, and means for oscillating said casing on said axis.

9. A blower comprising; a rotor mounted on a horizontal axis, a casing around the rotor tiltable about the axis and having a rectangular discharge channel extending tangentially therefrom, a bafiie in said channel substantially parallel to one wall thereof, said bafile being substantially co-extensive with said one wall and having a portion extending at an angle thereto inside the casing so movement of the baille to restrict the channel will be accompanied by a masking off of the space between the bafile and the wall of the channel which it effectively replaces, an arm fixed at one end to the baffle and pivoted at its other end to the inside of the casing, a second arm pivoted between a point on the first arm and a stationary point adjacent the axis of the rotor, and means for selectively oscillating said casing about said axis through a predetermined angle whereby said arms are operable to adjust the position of said baflle in said channel to vary the 8 eifective discharge area thereof as said casing is oscillated, said baflie being supported substantially parallel with said one wall at all times.

10. A blower comprising; a rotor mounted on a horizontal axis, a casing around the rotor tiltable about said axis and having a tangential discharge opening, a baiiie in the opening movable for variably restricting said opening, and means for moving said casing and baffle in unison and relatively so that when the opening is horizontal the bafiie is in a position of minimum restriction and when the opening is vertical the bafiie is in a position of maximum restriction, and for every intermediate position of the opening, the baffle occupies a proportionate intermediate position, a manifold extending across said discharge opening having nozzles, said manifold being parallel to the plane of the baffle and being located in the portion of the discharge opening that is not cut off by the baflie, and means for supplying material to be sprayed to said manifold under pressure.

11. In an oscillating blower structure; a frame, bearing bracket on the frame defining a horizontal axis, a blower rotor having a shaft on said axis supportedv by bearings in said brackets, a casing around the rotor having a peripheral discharge opening and also journalled on said brackets so as to be tiltable about said axis, said casing having side walls and an annular rim on one of said side walls, an arm pivoted on one of said bearing brackets and extending axially adjacent said rim, means for connecting the arm to said rim at selected positions therearound, and means for oscillating said casing through selected arcs depending on the position of said arm on the mm.

12. A blower comprising a rotor mounted on a horizontal axis, a casing around the rotor having a rectangular discharge channel extending tangentially therefrom, said channel having a pair of spaced substantially parallel walls, means for rotating said channel through a vertical angle from one horizontal position whereby discharge occurs in one direction to a second horizontal position whereby discharge occurs in the opposite direction, a baiile in said channel substantially parallel to said walls for variably restricting said channel, and means connected to said baflle and to said casing and responsive to said rotating means for oscillating said bafile from a minimum restricting position adjacent one of said walls when said channel is in either horizontal position to a maximum restricting position intermediate said walls when said channel is in a substantially vertical position intermediate said horizontal positions, said baflie being supported substantially parallel to said walls at all times and a masking portion on said bafiie adapted to extend between said baffle and said one wall when said baffle is in any of its restricting positions to close ofi air flow to the space between said bafiie and said one wall.

13. In an oscillating blower structure; a frame, bearing brackets on the frame defining a horizontal axis, a blower rotor having a shaft on said axis supported by bearings in said brackets, a casing around the rotor having a peripheral discharge opening and also journalled on said brackets so as to be tiltable about said axis, said casing having side walls and an annular rim on one of said side walls, a plurality of teeth spaced around the periphery of said rim, an arm pivoted on one of said bearing brackets and extending axially adjacent said rim, means for connecting the arm to said rim at selected positions therearound comprising a toggle pivoted to said arm and having end portions extending transversely of said arm and engageable with said teeth, and means for oscillating said casing through selected arcs depending on the position of said arm on the rim.

14. In an oscillating blower structure; a frame, bearing brackets on the frame defining a horizontal axis, a blower rotor having a shaft on said axis supported by bearings in said brackets, a casing around the rotor having a peripheral discharge opening and also journalled on said brackets so as to be tiltable about said axis, said casing having side Walls and an annular rim on one of said side Walls, a plurality of teeth spaced around the periphery of said rim, an arm pivoted on one of said bearing brackets and extending axially adjacent said rim, means for connecting the arm to said rim at selected positions therearound comprising a toggle pivoted to said arm and having end portions extending transversely of said arm and engageable with said teeth, and

10 means for oscillating said casing through selected arcs depending on the position of said arm on the rim, including means for limiting the maximumangle through which said casing may be tilted, comprising stop means at each end of said rim for abutting said arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 680,280 Roesser Aug. 13, 1901 960,815 Carlisle June 7, 1910 1,326,155 Russell et al. Dec. 23, 1919 1,669,581 Spencer May 15, 1928 2,116,539 Payne et a1. May 10, 1938 2,429,374 Shade Oct. 21, 1947 2,515,792 Ofeldt July 18, 1950 2,583,753 Spreng et al Jan. 29, 1952 2,587,240 Spreng Feb. 26, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 588,592 Great Britain May 28, 1947 

